PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 413 



l)laced as in T. turgidus, but much less distinct, the one in the axil of 

 pectoral much smaller and less conspicuous than in T. turf/idvs. 



2. Baiostoma brachialis, u. g. and n. s. Bean. 



(Jchirus hrachialis Bean, in Goode & Bean, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mns., vol. v, p. 

 235. No description. ) 



Two specimens of this species have been sent to the Museum by Mr. 

 Silas Stearns: Ko. 26C05, 1.95 inches in length, from AppalachicolaBay ; 

 the other, Ko. 30403, 1.45 inches in length, from South Florida. Both 

 were collected in 1879. In form and in most other characters Baiostoma 

 is like Achints, but it has a well-developed dextral pectoral fin. To this 

 genus should, probably, be referred the MonocMr reticulata of Poey, 

 which has, however, a trace of a sinistral pectoral and a greater number 

 of dorsal and anal rays than B. brachialis. Tlie genus will be fully de- 

 scribed in a later paper. 



Description. — The body is ovate in form, being much more angular 

 in its posterior than in its anterior outline. Its height is contained 

 about If times in its standard length, and is nearly twice the length of 

 the head, and about three times the greatest height of the dorsal and 

 anal fins. Its least height, at the base of tlie tail, is slightly greater 

 than one-third its height at the ventrals and one-fourth of its greatest 

 height. Its greatest thickness is equal to about twice the diameter of 

 the orbit and one-third the length of the head. 



The scales of the nape, chin, and breasr, are larger than those of the 

 body, and are armed with many more spinules. The scales upon the 

 blind side are less strongly ctenoid than those upon the eyed side. The 

 number of scales in the longitudinal series is about GO, about 53 of which 

 are tube-bearing. The lateral line is almost straight upon the eyed 

 side, very slightly arched in its anterior portion upon the opposite side; 

 always conspicuous. The scales extend upon the dorsal, anal, and 

 ventral 11ns almost two-thirds the length of the rays, but barely cover 

 the base of the caudal rays. 



The pectoral is scaleless. The head is short; its length is contained 

 three times in the standard body length, and four times in the total. 

 The length of the snout is slightly greater than that of the eye, and is 

 contained four times in the length of the head. The mouth is small, 

 oblique, the dorsal outline of the head projecting far beyond the upper 

 jaw in a sickle-like expansion, which almost meets the tip of the lower 

 jaw when the mouth is open; the contour of the head is consequently 

 very peculiar. The width of the interorbital space is equal to half that 

 of the eye. The teeth are inconspicuous, and upon the eyed side appar- 

 ently absent; present, however, on the blind side, but very small in both 

 upper and lower jaw. 



The dorsal fin begins in advance of the tips of the jaws and contains 

 47-48 rays, the greatest height in its posterior portion equalling, as has 

 been stated, one-third the length of the body. 



The distance of the insertion of the anal from the tip of the snout 



